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[Global Times Special Correspondent Chen Shan] According to a report on the website of the U.S. Naval Institute on the 5th, as part of the ongoing U.S.-Japan bilateral joint exercise "Resolute Dragon 24", the U.S. Marine Corps "Littoral Regiment" deployed the new AN/TPS-80 ground/air mission-oriented radar system for the first time on Yonaguni Island, the closest to Taiwan Island. The report specifically emphasized that Chinese naval and air force ships and aircraft often pass by the island, and the U.S. military's intention to target the People's Liberation Army is very obvious.

According to the report, a C-2 transport aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force transported the radar to Yonaguni Island, according to a statement released by the US Marine Corps. According to reports, the AN/TPS-80 is a multi-purpose radar that can provide advanced air surveillance, ground surveillance and weapon control capabilities, and can provide ground forces with real-time, 360-degree situational awareness information. It is mainly used to identify and track missiles, rockets, artillery shells, and various aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones. For the US Marine Corps, the AN/TPS-80 replaces the five single-function radars previously equipped, namely the AN/TPQ-46, UPS-3, AN/TPS-63, AN/MPQ-62 and AN/TPS-73, which can reduce costs and simplify personnel training. The head of the Land and Self-Protection Systems Division of Northrop Grumman Corporation in the United States said that the radar will "fundamentally change the US Marine Corps' ability to reconnaissance and track targets."

The "Resolute Dragon" series of exercises is an annual bilateral exercise held by the Third Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan and the Japan Self-Defense Force, focusing on controlling and defending key maritime locations. This year's "Resolute Dragon 24" exercise lasted from July 28 to August 7. The U.S. Marine Corps mentioned in a press release that "during the 'Resolute Dragon 24' exercise, the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japan Self-Defense Force jointly used this advanced radar to enhance situational awareness by supporting comprehensive detection and tracking in the air, land and sea domains, which will significantly improve multi-domain operations and overall combat space awareness throughout the exercise."

It is worth noting that the "Resolute Dragon 24" exercise is also the first exercise that the 12th Marine Regiment stationed in Japan has participated in since it was reorganized into the "Littoral Regiment" in November last year. The US military's goal is to transform three Marine Corps "Littoral Regiments" to carry out "island guerrilla warfare" in the Indo-Pacific region. A report released by the US Naval Institute stated that the US Marine Corps' "Littoral Regiment" can move faster than other forces and can respond to a wider range of threats. It can rely on light landing ships to enter pre-war pre-built positions, control straits and narrow waterways, and then maneuver between several islands as needed.

In addition, the US media also mentioned in the report that Yonaguni Island is located 68 miles east of Taiwan Island (about 110 miles), and is "a key area for Japan to defend its southwestern islands." "Chinese naval ships often pass by the island when transiting between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea, and Chinese military aircraft and drones have also passed by the island many times when performing reconnaissance and surveillance missions." In order to strengthen the reconnaissance and blockade capabilities of the Chinese navy and air force, Japan has established a radar station and an electronic warfare unit on Yonaguni Island, and plans to deploy shore-basedAnti-ship missilesandAnti-aircraft missilesThe report said that as part of the US-Japan alliance, the United States also agreed to increase its military presence in Japan's southwestern islands.